Canine scent detection training often relies on using variable weights of a training aid material (TAM), whether explosives, drugs, or other materials to quantify the training progression of a canine. In other words, a canine is trained with a first quantity of a TAM, measured by mass, and then in subsequent steps, the quantity of TAM, as measured by mass, is reduced or increased to vary the animal's dynamic range.
Unfortunately, the mass of a TAM often does not correlate to the amount of odor, in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the headspace. Once the headspace around the TAM is saturated, the mass of the TAM becomes irrelevant and odor diffuses at a variable rate depending on the containment of the TAM. Or, if the TAM is uncontained, the predominating environmental conditions, most critically, temperature and atmospheric pressure, of the room or outdoors determine odor diffusion. The significance of the aforementioned scenario in canine scent detection training is that canine trainers and handlers are often unaware as to the quantity odor they are presenting to their dog.
A further challenge in canine scent detection training is that it is easy for training aids (TAs) to become contaminated by extraneous odors during handling, training, transport and storage. Once a TA is comprised of a mixed odor that is not relevant to the target compound, training results are no longer accurate and reliable. More critically, most trainers will not know if and when a TA has been contaminated and will often continue to use the contaminated TA in training, which can result in a canine being trained to detect the wrong scent. Odor contamination can even present a hazard and safety concern when certain explosive vapors (odors) combine to form a detonatable and/or toxic tertiary gas.
Additionally, to enable trace detection of low levels of target odor (due to an explosive being buried underground, obscured by masking odors, far off in the distance, or inherently toxic/lethal, for example), it is critical to control the amount of odor being presented, the emission rate, to the canine during training to obtain near threshold limits of detection. Current training aid material delivery devices (TAMDDs) do not quantify nor control odor emission rate in any way. This leaves an enormous gap in what canines are trained on versus odor levels that are operationally relevant, quantifiable, and repeatable. To achieve and be able to demonstrate a higher sensitivity of canine stand-off detection, controlled emission rate TAMDDs are required.
Thus, a need exists for a single-use or disposable canine training aid that will address the major flaws of current TAs: contamination susceptibility and controllable emission rates.